Pierce unit and means for setting up the same



March a, 1966 F, M, WILUAMSQN 3,233,332

PIERCE UNIT AND MEANS FOR SETTING UP THE SAME Filed July 11, 1963 1 P x Zw zvww a 0 i z PW f Hh C 7 u W? y United States Patent 3,238,832 PIERCE UNIT AND MEANS FOR SETTING UP THE SAME Floyd M. Williamson, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Di-Dro Engineering Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed July 11, 1963, Ser. No. 294,432 4 Claims. (Cl. 83588) This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in pierce units and to a method of setting up the same so as to facilitate the use of such units. This invention very substantially reduces the time heretofore required for setting up pierce units and thus contributes substantially to the utility of such units.

A principal object of the invention therefore is to provide a new and improved construction for pierce units and method of setting up the same.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and may be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, of which there is one sheet, which by way of illustration show a preferred embodiment of the invention and what I now consider to be the best mode of applying the principles thereof. Other embodiments of the invention may be used Without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a pierce unit embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2- 2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a view of a removable pin useful in setting up the pierce unit.

The construction of the pierce unit basically is the same as that disclosed in my application for Adjustable Pierce Unit, Serial Number 294,427, now US. Patent No. 3,205,742 dated Sept. 14, 1965, and in general includes a body 10, a reciprocable rod 12, a piston 14, a retracting spring 16, a bearing cap 18, a clamping sleeve 20, a punch socket 22, a punch 24, and a stripper 26. The punch 24 is shown in its extended position projecting into the cavity 30 of the die 32, the die 32 being fixed to a supporting surface in fixed relation With the body and so that the punch 24 is accurately aligned with the die cavity 30. The spring 16 is relatively heavy and exerts considerable force for biasing the piston 14 and the parts movable therewith to their retracted position. Since the punch 24 is normally maintained in its retracted position, it is very time-consuming in accordance with conventional practice to set up the pierce unit and the die 32 so that the punch 24 is accurately oriented with the cavity and the die 32, and this must be done in order that the body 10 be accurately located and secured to its supporting surface.

In accordance with the present invention I employ a block which is removably bolted to the end cap 42 of the body 10, the end cap being bolted to the body 10 by means of countersunk bolts 44. The cap 42 is provided with a fluid port 46 and. a threaded connection associated therewith whereby a fluid pressure line (not shown) may be operatively connected to the cap 42 for supplying hydraulic fluid under pressure to the cylinder bore 11 in which the piston 14 operates. However, before the fluid pressure line is connected to the cap 42, the block 40 is secured to the cap 42 by means of bolts 50 which are threaded into tapped holes in the cap 42. The block is in turn provided with a guide bore 52 in which the head 54 of a pin or member 56 is slidable, the shank of the member 56 extending through the port 46 into the cylinder bore 11 and into engagement with the piston 14.

The block 40 additionally carries a threaded bolt 60 which is threaded into a tapped hole in alignment with the bore 52 whereby upon threading the bolt 60 inwardly into the bore 52, pressure may be applied. to the head 54 of the member 56 for moving it and the piston 14 so as to advance the latter against the force of the spring 16. The bolt 60 not only serves to advance the piston 14, but also to hold it in its advanced position. This serves to position the punch 24 in its advanced position wherein the lead end of the punch 24 projects into the cavity 30 in the die 32.

The pin 62 may be inserted in the hole 64 in the rod 12 so as to cooperate with the outer end. face of the clamping sleeve 20 for holding the rod 12 and the punch 24 in their extended positions as illustrated and so as to permit the removal of the block 40 from the cap 42 and the connection of the fluid pressure line in fluid flow relation with the port 46.

The body 10 is then located on its supporting surface and screw holes in such surface are then drilled in alignment with the holes in the body 10, and after such holes have been drilled bolts are extended through such holes 70 and secured to the supporting surface for anchoring the body 10 to the supporting surface. Thereafter the pierce unit may be operated a number of times so as to try out the punch 24. Thereafter dowel holes are drilled in the supporting surface in alignment with the holes 72 in the body 10, and then the dowel holes and the holes 72 are accurately reamed and dowel pins inserted into the dowel holes and the holes 72 for positively and accurately locating the body 10 on its supporting surface, after which the bolts extending through the bolt holes 70 may be tightened so as to secure the body 10 on the supporting surface against accidental movement and in fixed position relative to die 32.

The means and method herein disclosed make it possible to set up a pierce unit and its cooperating die in a small fraction of the time heretofore required for setting up a conventional pierce unit. In some cases the invention makes it possible to set up a pierce unit in less than half an hour as compared. with the six or seven hours time heretofore required for conventional pierce units.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is understood that this is capable of modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A fluid actuated piercing unit comprising an elongated body having a cylindrical bore extending therethrough, a piston mounted in said bore for reciprocal movement therein, a piston rod secured to the piston having one end extending out one end of the bore in the body, a punch, means for securing the punch to the one end of the piston rod, a cap secured to the body member over the other end of the bore having a single opening therethrough extending axially of the bore in communication therewith having a pin guiding inner portion and a threaded outer portion, a headed pin having a shank extending through the opening in the cap into said bore the headed end of which is positioned to abut the outer surface of the cap to limit the movement of the shank thereof into the bore in the body member, the shank of said pin being adapted to engage the piston in the bore, resilient means operable between the body member and piston for urging the piston toward the cap, a block having a recess therein for receiving the head of the pin to guide reciprocal movement thereof, means releasably securing the block to the cap with the head of the pin within the recess and means extending into the recess in the block engageable with the head of the pin for urging the pin shank into the bore in the body member and into contact with the piston and moving the piston away from the cap in opposition to said resilient means to force the piston rod into an extended position out of the bore whereby the punch may be aligned with a mating die by insertion of the punch in the die with the piston rod extended.

2. Structure as set forth in claim 1 and further including a transverse opening extending through said piston rod immediately below the body of the piercing unit with the piston rod in a limiting extended position for receiving a pin to hold the piston rod in an extended position during alignment.

3. Structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein transverse openings are provided extending through the body of the piercing unit to facilitate connection of the piercing unit to a support with the piston rod in an extended position and the punch aligned with a corresponding die opening.

4. Structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means extending into the recess in the block for urging the pin shank into the bore in the body member comprises a bolt threaded through the block and extending axially of the pin and bore of the body member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 824,867 7/1906 Houghton 83588 X 2,317,424 4/1943 Wales 83140 3,064,514 11/1962 Wilson 83639 X WILLIAM W. DYER, JR., Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM S. LAWSON, Examiner. 

1. A FLUID ACTUATED PIERCING UNIT COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BODY HAVING A CYLINDRICAL BORE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH, A PISTON MOUNTED IN SAID BORE FOR RECIPROCAL MOVEMENT THEREIN, A PISTON ROD SECURED TO THE PISTON HAVING ONE END EXTENDING OUT ONE END OF THE BORE IN THE BODY, A PUNCH, MEANS FOR SECURING THE PUNCH TO THE ONE END OF THE PISTON ROD, A CAP SECURED TO THE BODY MEMBER OVER THE OTHER END OF THE BORE HAVING A SINGLE OPENING THERETHROUGH EXTENDING AXIALLY OF THE BORE IN COMMUNICATION THEREWITH HAVING A PIN GUIDING INNER PORTION AND A THREADED OUTER PORTION, A HEATED PIN HAVING A SHANK EXTENDING THROUGH THE OPENING IN THE CAP INTO SAID BORE THE HEADED END OF WHICH IS POSITIONED TO ABUT THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE CAP TO LIMIT THE MOVEMENT OF THE SHANK THEREOF INTO THE BORE IN THE BODY MEMBER, THE SHANK OF SAID PIN BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE PISTON IN THE BORE, RESILIENT MEANS OPERABLE BETWEEN THE BODY 